the coming months

God has surrounded me with such beautiful expressions of caring and kindness.  My administrators have been awesome and being with my students really lifts my spirits.  My wonderful husband and kids and g'babies are the very best!  My co-workers have expressed so much support and caring.  Just having someone every day at my door when I get there ask about the previous day's test makes me know that I'm not alone in this.

I just got a text from one of my Youth Alive teens who said he had just learned of my diagnosis and said he'd be praying.  NOW THAT -- makes me weepy. 

Everyday something makes me that way and always something makes me LAUGH.  Laughter is good medicine -- God said so.  I'm buying it.

Yesterday after I told my 3rd hour about the challenges we all face and now I had one that I never EXPECTED to have.  I promised them we'd all get through it and be better on the other side --
One of my shy students pulled me in the hall and told me about his brother's family who had been in a bad wreck on Sunday and asked me if I would pray.  He could barely speak to me at the beginning of the semester and now he trusts me enough share this with me.  What an honor to pray for them.

The first major tests are back and a plan has been put it place ---
I have kept saying "I just wish I knew what to expect for the next few months"

Yesterday, when I met with my oncologist -- I SAW what the next 5 months would look like.
He told me it was in the lymph nodes and felt it was aggressive and rather large.  He said Stage 3 -- For that reason:
Chemo (16 treatments) -- 'said I'd be losing my hair in the first few weeks -- (Bethany is already shopping for wigs) --
Nausea (maybe -- maybe NOT) -- fatigue. Surgery.  Then radiation.

However -- he was confident we'll beat this!  You bet we will --

I told him I'm still teaching and he said "Good -- go when you feel up to it"  I asked about yoga -- he told me no downward dogs until the port site heals -- but the people who are active and connected have the best chance of this not recurring.  He said it helps to fight that fatigue.  He kept saying walking was the best thing.

Jesus is on this Journey ---- I know-- because He gives me something fresh every morning.  Today's devotional was all about a family facing the same decisions Terry and I are.

Now -- next on MY agenda -- getting T to the ENT to get that tumor on HIS thyroid removed.